A controversial female fresco painter who used to repair frescos in Guangsheng Temple in Shanxi province, northern China has turned out to be an intern, Beijing Times reported on Monday.
The beautiful young girl sparked controversy on the internet for her reportedly unprofessional repair work in the temple despite her popularity in the beginning.
Officials with Guangsheng Temple and the company responsible of repairing frescos in the temple told reporters that the girl was an intern and had left the company. In response to the doubts to the girl's professional ability, the company said it has all relevant certifications and trains its employees before work. After the company's work is done in the temple, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will send experts to inspect that finished product, the company added.
The report cited an expert in fresco repair who chose to remain anonymous as saying that anyone who works to repair frescos must have certification in China and it is illegal for unqualified personnel to do the work. However, the expert admitted that not all workers in China's cultural heritage repair field have relevant certificates, as the work is highly professional and requires years of learning and practicing.
As there are few young people who are willing to choose this highly skillful and hard job, the expert advised more cooperation between universities and local cultural heritage protection authorities in training real professionals and real lovers of the work.